Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation’s programs offer support to fill the gaps for foster youth in Yavapai County
Since 2001, the Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation has worked to meet the unmet needs and enrich the lives of children in foster care and those who have aged out of the system in Yavapai County. With more than 300 foster youth, whether they are wards of the state or the Yavapai Tribe, the foundation works to fill critical gaps and offer the kind of support state assistance and other programs often cannot provide.
The foundation operates entirely through donor contributions and is the only Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization under the Arizona Tax Credit in Yavapai County. With these funds, the foundation ensures no child in foster care is left without the essentials they need or the opportunities they deserve.
The foundation does this through nine different programs, including the following:
The Emergency Card program. When youth are removed from their homes and placed into foster care, they arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs. The foundation’s Emergency Card Program makes sure these youth have access to food, clothing, and essentials from day one, helping ease the trauma of the unexpected removal.
The Supplemental Card program. The Foundation’s efforts go beyond emergency support for these kids. The state of Arizona provides foster youth with an annual clothing allowance of $150 per child. The Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation sees this as an inadequate amount, especially with inflation. Thus, the foundation steps in, three times a year, to provide additional funding for clothing through its Supplemental Card program. This ensures foster youth have the clothing they need to feel comfortable and confident.
The Barbara Polk Family Visitation Center and the Verde Valley Family Visitation Center. Reunification with family is often the ultimate goal of the courts for foster youth. Biological parents must take many steps to make this a reality, including supervised visits with their children. Before Yavapai CASA for Kids, families were forced to meet in public places or institutional offices like DCS buildings, which lacked privacy and comfort. Recognizing the need for home-like environments, the foundation established the Barbara Polk Family Visitation Center in Prescott Valley and the Verde Valley Family Visitation Center in Cottonwood. These centers offer kitchenettes, toys, and a cozy atmosphere, creating a space where families can reconnect in privacy for visits that typically range from two to six hours each.
Grants for Kids. The foundation’s Grants for Kids program helps current and former foster youth meet their basic needs and have the items and experiences that enrich their lives. This program is versatile and provides funding for bedroom furniture, camps, sports, driving lessons, other extracurricular activities, and therapeutic experiences, to name a few. The goal is to give these youth the chance to enjoy a well-rounded adolescence—something that too often feels out of reach. In rare cases, the grants have even helped cover the cost of the cremation of a foster youth’s child, illustrating the depth of the foundation’s commitment to these children.
The Keys to Success program. For older youth aging out of the foster system, the Keys to Success program offers a personalized roadmap to adulthood. This program is designed to help youth build a support system, develop skills and set goals to ensure they break free from the bleak statistics associated with foster care, such as high rates of homelessness, unemployment, and incarceration among former foster youth.
The Christmas Drive. Finally, during the holiday season, the foundation’s Christmas Drive program ensures foster children get to experience the magic of the holidays with gifts—reminding them that they are not forgotten.
These are just a few of the several programs the foundation operates. Along with these programs, Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation supports the work of the CASA program in Yavapai County. They do this by funding Adoption Day, helping with marketing dollars, paying for CASA training, and more.
This is all made possible thanks to the generosity of donors in the community and as tax season approaches, supporting Yavapai CASA for Kids is not only a meaningful way to make a difference but also an opportunity to benefit from the Arizona Tax Credit. Their QFCO Code is 10006.
To learn more or to get involved, visit YavapaiCASAforKids.org or email [email protected].